January 16, 2017 | Daily Monitoring Report.
Upper House Elections For Somaliland Community To Resume In Mogadishu
16 January – Source: Garowe Online – 193 Words
The Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation Team of Somalia (FIEIT) has announced that the Upper House elections for Somaliland community will restart in Mogadishu on Monday. According to FIEIT , three seats of the Upper House elections for the Somaliland community will be contested by 10 candidates during Monday’s election which is set to open in the police transport headquarters in Mogadishu.
The election of the Upper House seats for Somaliland community was postponed several times due to disputes over the process between Somaliland elders and electoral committees. The voting resumes after lengthy talks between FIEIT and the new leadership of the federal parliament in Mogadishu over the conclusion of the parliamentary elections to elect the remaining Lower House MPs and the Upper House Senators.
During the talks, FIEIT also agreed with the new leadership of Parliament, the speaker and his two deputies if any seat becomes vacant, it should be re-contested in the same process as it was elected by 51 electoral delegates. The country is preparing to hold presidential election after the Parliament agrees on a date.
Key Headlines
- Upper House elections for Somaliland community to resume in Mogadishu (Garowe Online)
- Upper House Sessions To Start Today In Mogadishu (Goobjoog News)
- HirShabelle MP Calls For End To Clan Fighting In Hiiraan (Shabelle News)
- AMISOM Force Commander Somali Dep. CDF Visit Adaado In The Wake Of Political Disturbances In Galmudug (AMISOM)
- Refugees Risking Lives To Reach Bright Lights Of Johannesburg (The Guardian)
NATIONAL MEDIA
Upper House Sessions To Start Today In Mogadishu
16 January – Source: Goobjoog News – 133 Words
The Upper House will have its inaugural sitting on Monday with the election of the speaker and deputies topping the list of its agenda. The session will kick off at the newly constructed Senate building in Shibis district in Mogadishu. During the meeting, the members are expected to a choose committee that will lead the election of the senate leadership which is expected to take place soon.
A joint session of both Houses of Parliament is expected to convene soon to elect a new president in line with the 2012 Provisional Constitution. The Upper House falls short of two members as Somaliland’s electoral process is still ongoing. The Upper House is made up of 54 members drawn from the six regional states in Somalia.
HirShabelle MP Calls For End To Clan Fighting In Hiiraan
16 January – Source: Shabelle News – 149 Words
A member of Hir-Shabelle state Parliament has called for an end to the fighting between two clans in Hiiraan region which left at least 10 people dead. Speaking to Radio Shabelle, MP Abdullah Mohamed Adow urged the two brotherly clans to bring the deadly clashes to an end and opt for peaceful coexistence.
Adow has stressed the need for immediate intervention of the conflict by local clan elders and officials in Hiiraan regional administration. The MP’s call comes as at least 10 people died in the inter-clan fighting in parts of Hiiraan region. According to the reports from the region, both the two clans are fighting due to revenge killings and ownership of pastureland.
INTERNATIONAL
AMISOM Force Commander, Somali Dep. CDF Visit Adaado In The Wake Of Political Disturbances In Galmudug
16 January – Source: AMISOM – 312 Words
AMISOM’s Force Commander Lt. Gen. Osman Noor Soubagleh and a team of senior military officials visited Adaado, the administrative capital of the interim Galmudug administration on Sunday, to assess the security situation in the state, in the wake of recent political disruptions. The delegation which included Somali Deputy Chief of Defence Forces Major General Ali Bashi Mohamed Haji Omar, held consultations with the Galmudug vice president and a section of legislators from the state’s regional assembly.
“As you are aware there is some political uncertainty brought about by legislators in Adaado. We were concerned that this might impact on the security of the region,” Lt. Gen. Soubagleh told journalists. “We consulted AMISOM troops, Somali security forces including NISA and we have all agreed to maintain security and stay away from the politics,” he added.
The Force Commander said he had advised AMISOM troops stationed in Adaado to exercise impartiality while executing their duties. “We have also urged the politicians to refrain from using the Somalia security forces or militia, to settle their political differences. There should be no use of firearms. The politicians should resolve their differences through negotiations,” he stressed.
OPINION, ANALYSIS AND CULTURE
“Some are rich and come here to get richer. Others are poor and are coming here to change their lives. Many just tell themselves they will be free in a foreign land, and that is enough.”
Refugees Risking Lives To Reach Bright Lights Of Johannesburg
16 January – Source: The Guardian – 1,578 Words
When dawn came Mohammed could see both the shore and the dirt road that led away into the forest. The fishing boat, which had dropped him on a deserted stretch of coast in northern Tanzania, had long since disappeared. Now, as the sun came up, the 28-year-old teacher hoped the next stage of his journey would begin.
The day passed. Mohammed and the 12 other Somali men who had joined him on the boat sought shade under the thorny scrub. They had little water but shared a packet of biscuits bought in Kenya before their departure. By late afternoon it was clear they was not going anywhere. Night came again, bringing the roar and howl of wild animals. “We felt very lonely,” Mohammed remembered.
Another day crawled by, and another night. Then, finally, the men heard shouting. Their guide had come. Their journey could continue. Though they may have felt alone, the small group were part of something much bigger. The African refugees heading to Europe have received massive media coverage in recent months, but a far larger number seek security and prosperity elsewhere on their own continent.
“Immigration to the European countries is a huge thing in the media … but in the rest of African there is a lot of movement too,” said Marc Gbaffou, of the African Diaspora Forum, a Johannesburg-based NGO.
Exact figures are hard to come by but no one disputes that the numbers moving around Africa are much greater than those heading to Europe. The idea of an “exodus” from the continent is misplaced, experts say. Only two African nations were among the top 10 source countries for refugees heading to Europe in 2015: Eritrea in sixth, and Nigeria in seventh position. Of the world’s 17 million displaced Africans, approximately 3% are in Europe; the vast majority remain in Africa.
TOP TWEETS
@Mohamedkeynan : 3 more #Somaliland upper house seats elected today;only 2 remain out of the 11 seats. #Somalia#doorashada2016
@amisomsomalia : #Galmudug Vice President Hon. Mohamed Hashi Abdi appealed for continued presence of #AMISOMtroops in #Adaado. #Somalia
@Hornexpert115 : Developmental projects going on well in#Baidoa District. Reconstruction of Baidoa Main road. #Somalia.
@alihwarsame : The drought situation is worsening day in day out & nomads who are the backbone of #Somalia economy r extremely suffering. It’s time to ACT.
@MamboUganda : #Somalia national #Army #Soldiers finish#Course infantry: http://www.mambouganda.com ,http://www.mambouganda.com/
@DalmarHassanQ : Approximately 81,5% of the Somali population is under 35 years old according to the population Estimation Survey 2014, #Somalia
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Galmudug Vice President Hon. Mohamed Hashi Abdi appealed for continued presence of AMISOM troops in Adaado.
Photo: AMISOM